Cake and Betrayal
by Fallen Ark Angel
Summary: Hazard wants to hear a bedtime story, but when Luxa refuses, he finds something more interesting to discuss. Takes place between Curse of the Warmbloods and Marks of Secret. Some time before Hazard's birthday party, but well after he begins to stay in Regalia. Oneshot.


Cake and Betrayal

The day was late and night was fast upon them when Luxa and Hazard went into the room he had been given. As was slowly becoming their ritual, she sat down on the bed with him while he laid out, his head rested in her lap. That was the only way she could get him to sleep in his bed, as he would frequently try to find a way out of the palace to sleep somewhere with grass and bugs and sounds.

He didn't like the quiet of the royal wing. He once told her he was not royal, that he should not be there. She quickly told him that she wanted him there with her, that she would rather never sleep again than have him somewhere else. Still, he resisted the comforts that Regalia brought him to no end.

At the moment though, the day had been long for them both, Hazard's full of play while Luxa's had been full of lectures and the council, and they were both ready to sleep. As always though, Hazard was not so easy to get down and requested a story.

"I have told you all the stories I know, I fear," she told him softly, stroking his hair gently. "I've told you all the stories that were told to me when I was young, I have told you of all my adventures, I have told you of all my parents adventures-"

"Not everything."

"I have told you everything. I've told you of my mother, my father, my uncles, my aunts. I've told you every vision Nerissa has ever shared with me, I have told you all the foul things Stellovet has ever wished upon me-"

"What about if I told you what I did today?"

"What did you do today, Hazard?"

He yawned slightly, cuddling closer into her. "Gregor and Boots came to see their mother and we played."

"I did not see much of the Overlander today," Luxa said with a sigh. "I was busy with-"

"You are always busy."

"I am soon to be a queen, Hazard."

"Not that soon."

"But soon," she told him with a shake of her head. "There is much I must attend to."

"If you stayed with me in the jungle, we could hangout all day."

"Hangout," she repeated slowly.

"Gregor says it."

"You like him much."

"Do you not?"

"We are friends," Luxa said slowly. That was that word that was more or less what they were. Friends. No longer enemies, but also not able to only call one another acquaintances. The idea of having him a friend was not a bad one. Not really.

"He's very nice," Hazard said as he shut his eyes. "He's fun. And Boots is great."

"She is," Luxa sighed, continuing to stroke his head while moving to lean her head back against the wall behind her. "Do you tire yet?"

"No."

"Hazard, I still must go-"

"Just stay a little longer, Luxa."

"What else is there to discuss?"

"…Who is Henry?"

That caused her pause finally, her hand stilling for a moment. "What did you ask?"

"Who is Henry?"

"Hazard-"

"You say that you will tell me anything," he pointed out.

"Where did you hear that name?"

"I heard a guard mention it. But when I asked Vikus, he said-"

"Henry was my cousin," she said slowly, her hand beginning to move once more. "But not yours."

"How come?"

"He was the son of my father's brother," she said slowly. "Nerissa's brother."

Hazard's head shot up slightly as he stared up at her. "Nerissa has a brother?"

"Had."

"Had?"

"He has…lost his light."

"He died?"

She nodded slightly as he slowly laid his head back down. It had been so long since she had spoken of her fallen cousin that she was shocked how easily the words fell out of her mouth. Maybe it was because she was speaking with Hazard that it was so simple. He was always very straightforward with his feelings, which she found helpful when telling him something. Not to mention, he was one of the few who knew nothing of Henry and had no prejudgment made up.

"I'm sorry," Hazard said, his tone hollow as always. He was a pretty emotionless little guy or so Luxa was finding out. Still, he did not say things without meaning. He was being truthful. He was sorry.

"It is alright."

"Did you love him?"

"I did," she said slowly. "But now I do not."

"How come?"

"Hazard-"

"You said you'd tell me-"

"He…lied to me."

"Lied to you?"

"Hurt me," she clarified. "He did something horrible to me and I- Hazard, what is wrong?"

He just buried his head deeper into Luxa's leg. It was his slight moan that made her question his movements though.

"I'm sorry, Luxa."

"About what?"

"I lied to you and now you're going to hate me."

"Hazard-"

"Vikus let me have cake when you said I was not to have cake for dinner. I did not tell you because he told me that sometimes it's okay if I get things when you say no, that he is our grandfather and-"

"Hazard," the twelve year old spoke up, shaking her head before leaning down to press a kiss against the six year old boy's head. "I do not hate you for-"

"You hate Henry," he pointed out, his eyes tightly shut. "Because he lied and I-"

"You didn't…Stop it." She wasn't sure what to say. "He didn't lie to me, Hazard. Not in that way. He…betrayed me."

The boy paused before lifting his head again. "What does that mean?"

"I am to be queen, Hazard."

He giggled slightly, though he still looked quite conflicted. "I know that, Luxa."

"And Henry…" She shook her head then, looking off then at the wall across from his bed. "Henry could not be a king if I were queen. I was next in line. I was in his way."

"Oh."

"So he plotted against me with the gnawers." Luxa shut her eyes then, the memories still raw. "He planned to take over my kingdom. He was my closest friend. And he hurt me."

"Oh."

"And now he is gone." She opened her eyes again, looking down into his green ones. "Do you understand? He did not...eat cake, Hazard. He would have killed me. He would have killed Nerissa. He was not…my Henry. Not anymore."

Slowly, he laid his head back down, his eyes drifting shut once more. For a moment or two, they were silent again. Then he asked, "How did he die?"

"He fell."

"Fell?"

"From somewhere high up. Onto rocks below."

"Did he not have a flier? Like you do? Like Aurora?"

Again, she took pause. "He did."

"Was his flier not there?"

"He was," she said slowly. "His bond was Ares."

"Ares?"

"Yes."

"But why did he not catch him?"

"Because he caught Gregor instead."

Hazard took a moment to think before asking, "Is that why they are friends now? Ares and Gregor?"

"No," Luxa said slowly. "Ares saved Gregor because Henry was wrong. One was to be saved and one was to die. Ares had not known of Henry's plot. He felt just as betrayed. He chose to save Gregor."

"…Do you think he made the right choice?"

Caressing his black locks once more, she said, "My Henry is gone, just as that one is. I would rather not have either if I had to have the one that was ready to kill me for power. And Gregor has proven to be most helpful."

"You guys fight a lot."

"Not a lot."

"A lot."

"Hazard."

"Do you miss him then?"

"I see Gregor quite often. Too often, occasionally."

"Not him," Hazard said. "Henry."

"I try not to think of the past, Hazard. I have many people that I would miss if I did."

"I miss my mom," he told her then, his voice soft. "And my dad."

"That is alright."

"Do you miss yours?"

"At times," she said slowly. "But we cannot change what has happened."

He settled for a second or two before saying, "I miss living in the jungle too."

"I know, Hazard."

"I wish a lot that I could be with my mom and my dad again," he told her. "But…"

"But what?"

"I know that I have not lived with you long, Luxa."

She stared down at him. "It feels plenty long, I assure you."

He smiled at her then. "I only had my mother and father in the jungle. And Frill. She was my only friend. Now though that I live with you, I have many friends. And I have you. We are friends."

"We are," she agreed.

"And I just…" He was having trouble with his words and she could tell. Emotions and feelings were not his strong suit. "I am glad that I live with you now. That you let me stay here."

"I am glad as well, Hazard."

"And I do not wish to ever go away, to ever be bad like Henry was."

"Hazard, you will not."

"How do you know? You did not think that Henry-"

"I know because I know you, Hazard."

"You knew Henry."

"It is different now. I have been hurt," she told him. "Deeply. I will not allow myself to feel that way again. I will not let you go astray. Perhaps there were things I could have done, thinking back, to not make Henry feel so…left out. I will not make the same mistakes twice. I care for you deeply, Hazard. You have not, as you say, been here long, but you very much have a home here. I could not imagine not having you."

"But what if I lie?"

"You will lie to me, I know, the older you get." She patted his head then, shaking her own. "And about more important things than cake, I am sure, but I will never send you away. And I will never make you wish to go away. I could never hate you, Hazard. Ever. And do not ever think that I shall."

He snuggled into her even more, not able to hide another yawn as it slipped from his lips. Sleepily, he whispered, "I love you, Luxa."

Letting out a breath, she only smiled down at him. "Yes, Hazard, I know."

"And I am sorry about the cake."

"It is Vikus' fault," she assured him. If she had learned anything from Solovet, it was how to blame things on the old man. "He should not have misled you."

"I like him too."

"He is kind," Luxa agreed. Then, with a sigh, she said, "Now you must rest, Hazard."

He didn't like that idea. "Luxa-"

"I will stay with you until you fall asleep," she told him gently. "And when you arise in the morning, we will have breakfast together."

"Do you think Boots and Gregor will come visit again?"

"I do not know, Hazard."

"I hope so."

Smiling slightly, she leaned down to kiss his head one last time. "Me too."


End file.
